Clubs > Stainland Stags > The New Century
The New Century
The new century had dawned with Stags sitting in the middle of the Pennine Division 2 and having so epic games against arch rivals, Hollingwood, as well as meeting up with other Halifax teams on their way up or down the Divisions including Calder Valley, Ovenden “A” and Greetland.
There were new proper floodlights around the pitch replacing the old poles and floodlight lamps which had to be put out, assembled, disassembled and put away at each training session. The lights were a real indication of good times ahead at the Stags.
By the 2005-06 season the club had a large, hard-working committee supporting the lads out on the field.
John Sutcliffe had taken on the role of club President and club founder, Trevor Murgatroyd was the Chairman and Linda Murgatroyd had become club secretary. The team had a new sponsor in Jim Sykes and had a brand new kit to start the season. They has some new teams in the division including a trip away to York to meet New Earswick, a team new to the Pennine League. However, the season resulted in Stags having to look forward to the following season in Division 3 where they struggled towards the bottom of the table.
One player who started playing for Stags around this time and continued to play for many years was Danny Gee. He enjoyed his time playing for the Stags but remembers well,
“I just started to play because the Stags were short! I had no idea how to tackle!”
The club had again started to build for the future with attempts made, some successful, to start junior teams. Afterall, the club now had a clubhouse base and was on solid foundations. Gary Ellis, who had played for the club almost 20 years previously returned to coach an Under 16 side and work with Russ Holroyd in the junior set up. However, the teams did not prove to be long lasting.
Russ tells the story of one of the team building, fun events for the U15/U16 back in 2008/9.
“We had the lads camping out overnight on the pitch the Saturday night before a Sundy game. It was a very cold night. We were all so relieved at the match being called off!”
By 2011, Jamie Bloem had been recruited as player/coach and the side improved finishing second in Division 5 in 2010-11. Jamie spent two seasons at the Stags.
There would then start the most successful and followed by a most difficult time for the Stainland Stags club. Danny Fearon took on the player/coach role ably assisted by Russ Holroyd. The team went from strength to strength. They were Pennine Division 2 winners in 2013-14 and went one better in 2014-15 when they were Division I champions and gained promotion to the Pennine Championship Division. That same year the club entered and won the Rochdale International 9’s competition. Their run in the Halifax Cup came to an end in a close fought semi final encounter with Illingworth going down 18-12.
The winter of 2015 brought a tough cup tie at Dalton in Cumbria. Stainland went up despite the fact it was snowing as they left they set off on the long drive thinking the game would be called off. Stainland went with only 13 men with Craig Oczabruk and Danny Fearon to make up a 15 man squad. There was no snow in Cumbria although it was bitterly cold. There was even a delay in play when the Dalton full back broke his leg and the teams went back to the changing rooms. Russ opened a bottle of port which was empty by the time the game resumed. Stainland won the closely fought game by 26-22. Coach, Danny Fearon, after the game maintained “it was the port that inspired us!” A stop at Skipton on the return home turned into a mass snowball fight! Winter Rugby League at it’s best.
With the general switch of all Rugby League to a summer season, Stags left the Pennine League (who remain a winter league) and joined the Yorkshire Men’s League. In 2017 they played in YML Division 4. The Stags did well and their 10 wins from 12 games made them Division 4 Champions.
Their promotion in a reorganised Yorkshire Mens League took the Stags into YML Division 2 for the 2018 season. The consolidated their position with a creditable 6th place winning 6 of their 14 games in a division which not only included local rivals King Cross Park and Boothtown Terriers but also South Leeds and West Hull. A good amount of travelling.
The YML Division 2 had become an even harder division in this year as the team list included Goole Vikings, Skirlaugh (Hull), York Acorn and Wakefield Warriors. The 2019 season was to prove too much for the Stags and after 4 losses (3 of which were close scores) and one draw (10-10 away at Stanninley) from 5 games and struggling for players they had to withdraw from the competition.
With no Rugby League in 2020 due to the Covid pandemic, Stainland had an enforced fallow year and did not return until the autumn of 2021 when they joined the Pennine League in Division 2 for their first winter season in several years. They finished in exactly in mid-table – 3rd out of 5 teams. They won just 2 of their 8 games. However, one of those wins was home to Walton & Crofton by 92-0. Stags remained in the Pennine League Division 2 for the 2022-23 season and once again finished 3rd in an expanded division of seven teams winning 6 of their 13 games against the likes of Featherstone Lions, Cutsyke and Sharlston Academy.
2023-24 seems from the records to have been a strange season. Stags were again in Division two which is shown as containing 18 teams. Again, according to the records, Stags played 8 games but only scored 28 points and finished with one win and no league points just above last place Dewsbury Celtic who finished on minus 6 points from 1 win from 10 games. Strange!
Sadly, the 2024-25 season was little better for the Stags. They were in bottom place in the 6 team Pennine League Division 2 with a record of 1 win from 4 games played and 6 games forfeited.
The Stainland Stags story has surely not ended?